No communication for Wisemans Ferry residents

Your phone line is cut, internet is down and your property is cut off by rising flood waters...what do you do?

That's the situation for some residents living in the Wisemans Ferry region, mainly along the flooded Macdonald River, Colo River and Webbs Creek.

The State Emergency Service is trying to contact people in that region, after reports some land owners are without communications with the outside world, and are starting to run out of food and medicines.

Peter Cinque from the SES Sydney Western Region says low-lying roads can get cut in several places, leaving people isolated.

"We're trying to reach out to all of those communities to tell us if they're isolated and if they're having any difficulties with food, medications or any other issues and to remain in contact with us so that if something develops we can know where they are and try to arrange something for them.

"The river is still rising and may peak tonight," he says, and the normal telephone connections are failing.

"Definitely up in the Macdonald River Valley the phone lines can be somewhat iffy," he told 702 ABC Sydney.

The SES hopes social media will help flooded residents get in touch, especially in cases where phone lines are down but satellite internet connections are still working.

The online work is even more important, as weather conditions in the area are hampering efforts by the SES to make contact with local residents.

"It's proving extremely difficult. Helicopters - Polair and other rescue helicopters - wouldn't be able to make it up there so we're still exploring options," said Peter Cinque.

"We're arranging for flood boats this afternoon to go to the Webbs Creek area and the lower Macdonald from Wisemans Ferry to do a reconnaissance, to check out the flood conditions, where the roads might be isolated and the very low points and to generally work our way up the creek and river to maintain contact with the population there."

Local residents are being urged to check up on their neighbours and help each other out.

"Check up on your neighbours. If you have good connectivity with the outside world with phone and the internet and your neighbours don't, maintain that link so that if they need help you can go to your neighbours," he said.

Meanwhile, the isolation is likely to continue for several days.

"It's not as bad as 2007 when it was much higher. It will cut low roads on either side of the road, and with these weather patterns and with this rain, we expect those river levels to stay up for the next two to three days," he said.

People with telephone access who need assistance should call the SES on 132 500, or ring 000 for life-threatening emergencies.